Reassessing Eastern Mediterranean Tectonics and Earthquake Hazard From the 365 CE Earthquake

The hallmark of great earthquakes in the Mediterranean is 21 July 365 CE earthquake and tsunami that destroyed cities killed thousands people throughout Eastern Mediterranean. This event intriguing because most subduction forearcs exhibit pervasive crustal extension minimal definitive evidence exists for megathrust earthquakes, consistent with weak seismic coupling. conundrum has led many to favor rupture a previously unrecognized upper plate splay fault south Crete an M w 8.3–8.5 earthquake, uplifting Cretan Holocene paleoshoreline by up 9 m. Similar source mechanisms have been adapted region, which are commonly used hazard estimation. We present alternative model uplift centers on known active normal systems offshore western southwestern Crete. use new published radiocarbon dates historical records show likely occurred during two or more within 2–3 centuries. Visco-elastic dislocation modeling demonstrates these faults fits observed data as well reverse models but requires reduced slip lower cumulative energy release (?M 7.9). Tsunami shows normal-fault ruptures produce strong tsunamis better match reports than hypothetical fault. Our findings collectively interpretation damaging can originate faults, highlighting potential from tsunamigenic earthquakes.